OTTAWA – The chief spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper is urging the RCMP to return guns seized from homes in flooded-out High River, Alta., and focus on other tasks instead.

RCMP officers, assisted by Canadian Forces personnel, have entered an unknown number of homes in the flood zone in High River that had been evacuated by their owners. A video made by the police shows them searching for pets, people or other hazardous items.

RCMP have said that if they found an unsecured firearm in the home, they seized it for safekeeping and plan to return it to the owner.